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After being very pleasantly surprised by Loeb and McGuinness’ run on Nova, it looks like the character is in good hands with Zeb Wells and Paco Medina.

This issue brings things up to the ‘present day of Marvel’ as the events of Avengers Vs X-Men take place in between #5 and #6. So, Sam returns to Carefree Arizona, ready to ask his mother if he can join the Avengers, but nope, she’s more concerned about the Skate Park he and Titus destroyed in the last issue. I said it about Loeb’s run, but the best thing about this series is how it makes the idea of space travel, superheroics and Marvel Cosmic into something truly new and exciting, and Wells continues that here with the contrast of the exciting life of Nova and the pretty crappy life of Sam. You can get why he wants to escape. I think Wells did a fantastic job in this issue of writing Sam’s mother, she was a presence in Loeb’s run, but now I feel like she’s a full character, and she’s an interesting spin on an Aunt May-like character.

The comparisons to Spider-Man are apt, as much of this book is very much in the classic teen-superhero mould that Spidey pioneered. There’s the love interest, the school bully, etc. I suppose it’s good that we have a comic like this, because not only is the current Spider-Man not in High School, but is a villain. I suppose we have Miles Morales, but he’s atypical in a lot of ways, I’m behind on his series, but last I read, he had no love interest or bully after him.

Anyways, enough about Spider-Man! Nova! What’s that? At the end of this issue Sam flies off to New York and next issue is a Spidey guest-appearance? D’oh! I wonder if it will be an Amazing or Superior team-up? Paco Medina is a good fit for this series, his style is cartoonish like McGuinness’ and he really suits young characters.

It looks like Nova is going to continue to be a lot of fun, Wells is a slightly better writer than Loeb I think, and already the supporting characters like Sam’s mother and the love interest (Carrie) are getting more depth. There wasn’t that much action in this issue, but I have high hopes.